As I walked through Gosford’s streets a few decades ago, I noticed the changes in the local community. The people were the real change, not just the buildings that were being built near the water or the noise around the station. It was clear that there was an aging community, and the demand for real, hands-on help was increasing faster than our ability to keep up.
It’s been years since I worked with service providers and owners of businesses in the care industry, but the constant topic we discuss is the difficulty of finding good people. Not just filling in a spot on the roster is essential; you need to find someone who cares and will treat clients with dignity.
The financial risks of hiring a new employee are a significant obstacle for small business owners and providers on the Central Coast. Understanding the local employment services landscape and wage subsidy programs is crucial. You may be feeling pressure as an employer looking to grow your support worker team in Gosford. This guide will show you how to save money and build a lasting team by navigating this system.
Gosford Support Workers: Their Critical Role
The support work sector is sometimes referred to as the “backbone” of community services, but for me it’s the “heart”. Support workers make independent living possible in a region like Gosford, where there are many seniors and disabled people.
Support workers are those who drive clients to their appointments at Gosford Hospital or help with shopping at Erina Fair. They can also provide companionship for lonely people in their homes. The entire system would collapse without them. The role of the NDIS is evolving. The role of domestic helpers is changing. It involves more than just providing assistance at home.
In order to keep up with this evolution, employers will need employees who are both skilled and flexible. In Gosford, the demand is exceptionally high. Each time I talk to local providers, they say they would hire 10 people today if they had the money for onboarding and training. The high demand for workers creates competition in the market.
However, it can also provide businesses with opportunities to use government assistance to help find qualified candidates. Not only are we looking for people, but also for those who are able to handle the physical and emotional demands of their job. Understanding the importance of the role will help you understand why the government is so focused on hiring them.
Central Coast Employment Services: How to Navigate Them
If you’re looking to hire someone, the first place that comes to mind is not a job board. We are fortunate in Gosford to have an extensive network of service providers that specialize in this type of recruitment.
They are not traditional recruitment agencies, but government-funded organizations that connect employers with job seekers. These include industries like disability and aged care. Over the years, I’ve worked with several providers, and it is often the understanding of your business culture that makes the difference.
Services such as Workforce Australia or Disability Employment Services have a significant local presence. Most small businesses don’t want to spend the time on heavy lifting. The screening process involves checking qualifications, such as the NDIS Worker’s Screening Check (essential), and assessing whether the person is the right fit for the care industry.
It is essential to do this because technical skills are taught, but not empathy. Partnering with local services gives you access to candidates who are pre-vetted, ready to go to work. You can save hours by not having to sift through resumes of people without a driving license, which is a requirement for many support positions in the region.
You will find the following types of services in Gosford.
- Workforce Australia Providers: These are generalists who have a pool of many job-seekers. These providers are great for finding those who want to change jobs or re-enter the workplace.
- Disability employment services (DES): This provider specializes in helping individuals with injuries, illnesses, and disabilities find jobs. Do not overlook people who have lived with disability. They are often the most compassionate and understanding workers.
- Providers of Transition to Work: This service is aimed at young people between the ages of 15-24. This is an excellent resource if you want to start from the ground up and train someone into a perfect employee.
Understanding Wage Subsidies for Employers
Cash flow keeps owners up at night. The government provides wage subsidies to businesses as a financial incentive to help them hire qualified job applicants. Too many employers have dismissed these subsidies as being “too complicated” or “too great to be true”, only to discover later that they had left thousands on the table. A wage subsidy could be the difference in the hiring of support workers at Gosford between just breaking even and making a real profit for the first few expensive months.
It’s not a loan, and you won’t have to pay it back. This is money that you, as the employer, receive to help offset your costs for wages and training. You can get a different amount depending on who you are hiring and their circumstances.
Hiring a person who has been unemployed for a while, an older worker (50+), or someone young can result in different funding levels. This funding can help absorb a productivity drop that occurs when someone new starts in the industry of support, which is prone to high turnover and intensive training. This funding is designed to compensate you for being patient as your new hire learns.
Benefits go beyond the balance in your bank account
- Less Risk: Even if a new employee doesn’t pan out, the initial salary is not yours to pay.
- Budget for Training: Money saved in wages can go towards specific training, like dementia courses or manual handling classes, making staff better skilled.
- Lithium: The employees hired by these programs feel loyalty towards the employers who took a risk on them, leading to higher retention rates.
How to Apply for Subsidies: A Guide in Steps
It is not as difficult as it sounds to access these subsidies. Once you’ve done this a few times, it will become second nature. It is essential to have the discussion prior to the employee starting work. You will be denied a subsidy for hiring someone, and then trying to apply a month afterward. It is not intended to reward or influence you, but rather help you make a hiring decision.
Step 1. Identify your needs and contact a provider
Define your needs before you write an ad. Do you need a weekend casual worker or full-time staff? When you have decided, contact a Workforce Australia provider or DES provider near Gosford. Tell them the truth. You can tell them: “I am looking for a worker to support me, and would like candidates who are qualified for the wage subsidy.” The database will be filtered to find people who are likely to attract funding.
Step 2: Checking Eligibility and Interview
The provider should let you know if the candidate qualifies for a subsidy when they send their resumes. During the interview, you should always confirm. Asked the candidate if they are registered with their provider of employment services. Contact the service provider to confirm specifics about the subsidy. Don’t rely on verbal confirmations of “maybe”. Get confirmation from the provider that this person will receive $10,000 in funding (or whatever the current amount is).
Signing the agreement
The employment services provider will create a wage subvention agreement once you have offered the position. It is an agreement between you and the government, via the employment service provider. This contract outlines when and how much money you’ll be receiving.
Payments are usually made over six months in monthly installments. This agreement must be signed within a specific time frame, usually within 12 weeks after the employee starts, although I recommend that you sign it from day one.
Keep accurate records
Some businesses make this mistake. You must prove that you pay the employee to get paid. Payslips indicating hours worked and wages paid are required. This is not a difficult task for the provider; they need to verify funds. You can set up an automatic reminder to send these payslips out every couple of weeks.
Real-world Hiring Successes
Let me tell you a little story about the small disability support service I am familiar with in Woy Woy. Let’s say that the owner was having a hard time. Her cash flow was too tight to hire another employee full-time. She also had a waiting list of customers. Her hesitation to use an employment agency was because she feared that she’d only receive candidates who were unwilling to work. She decided to use a Transition to Work service provider after a lengthy chat and coffee.
She was introduced to Jake, a young boy. Jake did not have formal experience in care, but had taken care of his grandmother. He was also patient and gentle. Jake was entitled to a Youth Subsidy Wage Subsidy because he had not worked for some time. Sarah was able to receive substantial financial assistance during the first six-month period of Jake’s job.
This money was used to help Jake get his Certificate III Individual Support and First Aid certification. Jake became one of Sarah’s most beloved workers six months after starting. Sarah was happy that he had the chance to train in the manner she wanted. He also proved himself reliable and grateful. Sarah would not have risked hiring an untrained employee, so Jake wouldn’t be working.
A larger facility for aged care in Gosford targeted workers of mature age. The facility realized older workers had valuable life experience, reliability and knowledge that could be used in the aged care industry. They were able to hire five new employees in one quarter by utilizing the wage subsidies for older workers. Subsidy payments covered the costs of the uniforms, as well as the compliance checks that are required for aged care. This is not just a statistic; it’s real business in our area that is making good financial choices and helping the community.
What you might face (and how to fix them)
I would not be honest if the system were perfect. You can manage frustrations if you are prepared. The “compliance load” is one of the most significant challenges that employers face in Gosford. It can feel as if you’re chasing employment service providers when dealing with them. After sending an email to request a wage subvention agreement, you might not hear from them for 3 days. It’s best to make a noise. They are usually overloaded. Pick up the phone if you’ve hired someone and require the necessary paperwork. Develop a personal relationship with a specific person within the company so that you’re not just a random email.
A candidate’s suitability is another challenge. The fact that someone has a subsidised wage does not mean they’re right for the position. Employers have been blinded by dollar signs and have hired someone clearly unfit for the job. A $10,000 grant is worthless if an employee has a problem with a customer or leaves after just two weeks. Keep to the hiring criteria. Subsidies are a great way to find the best person for the job, and not the main reason you hire the wrong candidate.
For support workers, it is essential to have a valid driver’s licence and an adequate vehicle. Many people in the pool of job-seekers who are eligible for subsidy may rely heavily on public transportation, but let’s face it, the Central Coast can be a bit patchy if they work split shifts. In the initial phone call, be upfront with this request. Some employers can use an Employment Fund (a separate pool of money) to pay for a candidate’s driving lessons and vehicle repairs. You should ask about it! Ask about this!
Central Coast Support Workers: The Future of Support Services
The employment landscape in Gosford for support workers is expected to intensify over the next few years. Population projections show that the Central Coast will continue to see a rise in over-65s. The sector will be recession-proof, but the war for talent will intensify. We will likely see wage subsidies becoming a part of almost every care provider’s business model, and not an extra.
Credentials will also be more stackable. Employers will need to look for candidates who have micro-credentials–short courses in infection control or behavioral support–rather than waiting for someone with a full qualification. These short courses are being offered by government employment services to help job-seekers become “job-ready” quicker.
You, as an employer, need to change your mindset. Stop viewing recruitment costs as transactional and begin to view them as an opportunity for partnership between the community and government. There are resources. There is funding. Candidates are often in hidden pools, which you may not have thought of before. You can protect your company from rising labor costs by mastering the wage subvention system. The paperwork is a little tedious, but it’s worth the effort to have a well-funded, capable, and stable workforce.
Read More: HearthStats Net News – Your Ultimate Companion to Master the Tavern
Final Thoughts: Together, we can build a stronger community
Finding reliable workers for Gosford does not have to be an individual struggle to combat rising costs or a talent shortage. We’ve seen that the road to building a stable workforce can be paved by the resources available today. You are not only making an intelligent financial decision by partnering with the local employment service and taking advantage of government wage subsidies; you’re also actively investing in people who keep our communities running.
Every subsidized hiring is an opportunity for you to mentor and train a committed staff member who would otherwise be overlooked. You can use the tools available to reduce your recruiting burden, from candidate screening to financial incentives.
Do not let paperwork stop you from achieving your potential. Ask the right questions and build a resilient team of skilled professionals who are ready to serve the Central Coast’s future needs. You, your business and vulnerable community members will benefit from this.
